BLINK is here to support you at various stages of your application process. Our assistance includes project modeling and creating a supportive environment, particularly in areas that may present challenges, such as:

- Project organization
- Ensuring coherence among the application, activities, and timeline
- Conducting risk assessments
- Addressing privacy and information security (in collaboration with ResearchData@NTNU)

We offer workshop-based support, which can be conducted digitally or in person, and we tailor our approach to meet your specific needs.

In collaboration with the administrative support teams at the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, as well as our partners in the BLINK community, we also organize various joint initiatives to facilitate the call and application processes.

BLINK primarily focuses on the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK dir), which oversees the largest national funding programs for the education sector. Additionally, we monitor internal calls and funding initiatives at NTNU, such as NTNU Teaching Excellence. This allows us to stay well-informed about active and upcoming funding opportunities.

Moreover, NTNU offers numerous internal support resources that everyone can access without requiring additional funding. However, navigating these resources can be challenging. BLINK has an extensive network and is more than happy to assist you in connecting with the appropriate resources within the organization.

We can assist you with developing your application and project, particularly by enhancing the feasibility of your ideas. Our team has experience with applying for specific calls in the area of education. We can contribute to ensuring that your project is presented as effectively as possible in your application and focus on enhancing the feasibility of the project.

We would be happy to have an initial conversation to discuss your needs.

Please note that specific applications must be strategically aligned with your department for us to provide further support. If you are applying for external funding, be sure to follow the appropriate procedures.

You can read more about the current procedure at the Faculty of Humanities (in Norwegian).

Employees at the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences should follow this procedure for external funding at SU.

Our team has experience with applying for specific calls in the area of education. We can contribute to ensuring that your project is presented as effectively as possible in your application and focus on enhancing the feasibility of the project. 

We are happy to provide feedback on your application text as long as we have the capacity to do so. The amount of assistance we can offer may vary depending on the level of interest in each call for proposals and how close we are to the deadline. To ensure you receive thorough feedback, please reach out to us as early as possible. While we strive to be flexible, we recommend contacting us as soon as you confirm your intention to apply.

These tips summarize our most important experiences from previous application processes:

Familiarize Yourself with the Call Text

Make sure to understand and respond to what the call specifically asks for. For example, HK dir. provides clear criteria for what should be described in different parts of the application and how each section will be assessed. Your application should clearly demonstrate how it meets these criteria.

Understand the Criteria in Practice

It’s essential to grasp what HK dir. means by terms like "student-active learning" and "flexible education." 

Highlight Relevance to the Evaluator

Make it easy for the evaluator to see the relevancy of your project. Utilize keywords from the call and follow the structure outlined in the application template. This approach helps evaluators find the required information quickly.

Be Organized

Work on the structure of your application. Ensure it’s easy to see connections between activities, the timeline/milestones, and budget items. The organization of the project should align with the activities you're planning to carry out.

Revise Your Text

Avoid repeating phrases or information unnecessarily. Make sure the key elements of your project are clearly communicated and not lost in the text.

Clarify Project Actions

Maintain a balance between explaining "why" the project is important and detailing "what" you will actually do during the project period. It is often easier to discuss the importance of the project than to articulate the specific actions involved.

Address Potential Risks

Be honest about the weaknesses that could affect the project. Adjust your plans to minimize obvious risks or have a contingency plan (plan B) in place.
 

In projects with external funding, BLINK can be included as part of the faculty’s contributions, such as providing a defined time frame throughout the project period. We can also be listed for specific activities or support functions within the project. This may include assistance with:

• podcast production
• digital or physical events
• teaching activities
• workshops

Additionally, we can help create a supportive environment around the project.

BLINK supports internal research and educational projects as long as resources and capacity permit. In cases of high demand, we prioritize projects that are strategically aligned with the department or faculty level, as well as those that are based in the academic environments of the Faculty of Humanities (HF) and the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences (SU).

The BLINK meeting is a weekly gathering for partners in our interdisciplinary network. During these meetings, we discuss specific project proposals and highlight issues requiring further follow-up. 

If you are facing a challenge that is difficult to address or it is unclear who can assist you, the BLINK meeting is an excellent place to start. Your issue will be examined from multiple perspectives, and you will have the opportunity to discuss it with representatives from NTNU-IT, the University Library, the Learning Support Section, UniPed, and faculty administration. When appropriate, we also invite additional participants who may be able to help. The purpose of the meeting is to foster dialogue and to create a plan for how we can work together toward a solution.
 

BLINK has developed a project modeling tool based on the “Business Model Canvas” (Osterwalder & Pigneur), specifically adapted for use in academia. This tool helps enhance the coherence among various elements of a project.

The methodology can be applied at different stages of the application process, starting from the initial idea stage and continuing throughout the project's duration. Additionally, it can be utilized for various thematic reviews, such as conducting an overall risk assessment for the project or as a starting point to address specific components that require strengthening in the application.

In connection with calls for proposals, BLINK invites joint workshops to create a supportive environment and establish a common platform for sharing experiences at the beginning of the application process.

To engage with interested academic institutions and project groups, BLINK frequently employs workshop methodologies for creative idea development and problem-solving, including application work. The aim of working at a “post-it stage” is to enhance and maintain a clear overview of the project's main elements together.

BLINK can provide both a facilitator and a secretary to assist during the workshop and will send a summary after its completion.

Workshops That May Be Relevant for You:

• Podcast, concept, and production
• Privacy, data management, and risk assessment
• Communication, dissemination, and sharing
• Artificial intelligence (AI), teaching, and examination

A strong support environment can greatly enhance the planning and execution of a project, but navigating the various academic environments and support units at NTNU can be challenging. BLINK can connect you with individuals we think will be helpful for your project and assist projects with similar goals in developing effective collaborations.